Motorola Mini-Usb Charger to Charge G1?

[Frito]

ok update i found info here http://www.tracyandmatt.co.uk/blogs/...tor_pin_config

one person reports in the comments of that post that htc chargers ground pin 5 and 4 to identify an "offical" charger ( gnd and not connected pins on a normal mini usb connector)

the moto chargers ground data and nc to gnd via 200 ohm resistors

the part that concerns me is the fact they link one of the usb data pins to anything else. obviously htc chargers do not do this and it could result in damage over a long time of use so i would stay away from moto chargers

any normal usb only charger will work fine however the phone just shows charging via pc instead of ac power not a big deal imo

just stay away from chargers made for cell phones besides htc and you will be fine

[u2chin]

Do you care about the computer brand when you connecting your device to USB port? Why should you care about the charger? Just don't use the chargers made by unknown manufactures to keep your device safe.

[Frito]

what do you mean computer brand as in the mfg of the pc? that does not matter standard USB ports are all the same (the big 4 pin usb ports found on pc's) there is no 5th pin on normal usb ports when plugging in your phone with a usb to mini usb cable into a pc or any other device with a usb port ps2/3 xbox360 wii wd tv box apple tv box etc etc etc the list goes on of devices that have normal usb ports as well as normal computers and laptops
you may have issues with getting the data connection to work sometimes depending on device compatiblity and also cable compatibilty but i can assure you that its just a 5v power cord when plugged in to charge the phone and will be fine

the issue that is being descussed here is mini usb chargers made for motorola phones, they are possibly dangerous to use long term with our phone due to a propratiery wiring that they have so that the moto phone wont charge from just any usb device even though it should, its a crock of bull that moto would do such a think to insure that ppl have to by chargers made for the phone rather than keep an open standard (usb/mini usb) standard

our phone's oem wall charger employs a simular wiring to tell the phone its on a 1a ac charger rather than USB charger but does not stop you from charging in usb mode

the only downside to usb charging is that it will charge at a slower rate than if you use the OEM 1A charger (usb is limited to 500ma (1/2 A)
that limitation is in all usb devices for the safety of the computer its connected to, you wouldnt want to overload your pc's usb bus now would you

TL;DR version

avoid motorola chargers
charging via any usb cord is safe
the provided AC adaptor is the best way to charge due to more power (1A vs 500 ma)

[sarav]

Frito,

I checked out the Ext-USB and mini-USB pin outs and they seem to match fine for the USB data transfer and charging like you mentioned.

What I'm worried about though is the metal jacket around the mini-USB plug in the cable-end might short out the pins in the other side of the Ext-USB connector on the G1.

Does the mini-USB standard specify enough room to make sure the metal jacket in a mini-USB connector doesn't short out the "unused" pins if it is connected to a Ext-usb jack?

If this is the case, why does HTC provide a Ext-USB cable to connect the G1 to a PC? A mini-USB cable would have been cheaper for HTC (I know they don't care about the customer).

-Sarav

[surfereddie]

Yes, the plug, if you look closely they have changed the profile of the jack even though it is still classified as a mini usb. It's the scam they are running so they can cash in on the lucrative after market equipment. We are all puppets in this stupid game.

[scrannel]

Live it up...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_mini_USB

[JimDog]

Just as an FYI (update)...going on 8 months or so now....still using my Motorola P790 on trips etc. Phone still works like a champ.

[SilleeString]

Perhaps I wouldn't charge a 3rd party battery with anything but a G1 charger, but I've run into no problems using other chargers with my original battery*.

*Disclaimer: Your mileage may vary...I'm not responsible for any mishaps and all that jazz.

[cesarcardoso]

+1 for "using Motorola microUSB chargers on my G1 without problem"

[z0mb13e]

Have been using various mini usb chargers (including motorola) for several years (since HTC Universal) and they all work with each other as long as the manufacturer sticks to the standard pinout.

The 1000mAH charger that comes with the G1 is able to supply twice the rated current of the miniusb spec (as mentioned earlier in this thread). There is no problem with charging the battery slower than rated. It is the otherway round that causes problems. So hooking up your G1 to a motorola miniusb charger will supply as much current as the usb port on your computer and will charge your battery at the same rate. But hooking up your G1 charger to a Motorola phone might be interesting if the designers neglected to include current limiting circuitry.

As for 'shorting' a pin to ground via a 200ohm resistor. For signal lines that is normal and is a way to 'switch' a digital 'high' to a digital 'low' voltage. As long as it is just a signal line and isn't designed to sink a lot of current then 'shorting' it out isn't going to cause any problems.